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NEGATIVE 
NO.  95-82371 


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Author: 


Westinghouse,  George 


Title: 


Electricity  in  tiie 
development  of  the  South 

Place: 

[Atlanta] 

Date: 

[1911] 


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Vifestinghouse,  George,  1846-1914 • 

Electricity  in  the  development  of  the  South, 
with  observations  on  the  importance  of  federal 
incorporation  for  small  companies  engaged  in 
interstate  commerce;  an  address  by  George  West- 
inghouse  before  the  Southern  commercial  con- 
gress at  Atlanta,  Georgia,  IVIarch  10,  1911, 

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A?R  1  4  1943 


May  »7.ii  ^§ 


With  the  ComplimeDts  of 
Mr.  GEORGE  WESTINGHOUSE 


Electricity  in  the  Development 

of  the  South 


With  Observations  On 


The  Importance  of  Federal  Incorporation 

for  Small  Companies  Engaged 

in  Interstate  Commerce 


AN  ADDRESS 

By 

GEORGE  WESTINGHOUSE 

Before 

THE  SOUTHERN  COMMERCIAL  CONGRESS 

At 

ATLANTA,  GEORGIA 

MARCH  10,  1911 


'^''^^Sw. 


WE>2 


LIBRARY 


School  of  Business 


Given  by 

F.D.Fackenthal 


Bc\><>' '  r>*  Bii*«tne««  Library 


Electricity  in  the  Development 

of  the  South 


With  Observations  On 


The  Importance  of  Federal  Incorporation 

for  Small  Companies  Engaged 

in  Interstate  Commerce 


AN  ADDRESS 

CyEQRGE  WEStlNGHt]^USE 

r^    ,    ,  ,   •, ,  BeToi.e 

THE  SOUTHERN  COMMERCIAL  CONGRESS 

.  -  *     "     « 

!     :  '  •  • .  At        . ,  -   . . 

ATLANTA,    -    GEORGIA 

MARCH  10, 1911 


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ELECTRICITY  IN  THE  DEVELOPMENT  OF  THE 

SOUTH. 

I  have  been  greatly  honored  by  the  Invitation  of  The  South- 
ern  Commercial  Congress  to  address  this  eventful  meeting  of 
emment  men  whose  homes  are  in  the  South,  of  eminent  repre- 
sentatives of  foreign  governments,  and  of  your  distinguished 
guests  and  well-wishers  from  the  North,  who  are  assembled 
to  celebrate  the  physical  recovery  of  the  South— a  recovery  in- 
dicative of  that  moral  health  and  physical  strength  which  have 
already  had  a  wonderful  Influence  in  the  development  of  the 
resources  of  our  whole  country,  and  which  will  continue  to 
exert  tneir  force  in  amazing  ways. 

The  Bases  of  Progress. 

^    "The  South's  Physical  Recovery"  is  the  significant  head- 
ing of  the  program  of  the  Southern  Commercial  Congress  on 
this  occasion      In  the  broadest  sense,   commercial  progress 
rests  upon  a  physical  and  moral  basis;  upon  the  physical  prod- 
ucts of  the  mine,  the  forest,  and  the  field,  upon  their  trans- 
formation  through  mills  and  factories  into  commercial  prod- 
ucts, and  upon  the  means  for  transporting  them  to  the  con- 
sumers; and  no  less  upon  the  moral  and  spiritual  qualities  of 
the  race.     Upon  these  foundations  the  South  must  depend  for 
its  future  advancement.     No  words  from  me  are  needed  to 
eulogize  the  splendid  courage  of  our  Southern  brothers,  and 
when  we  consider  the  happy  combination  of  the  spiritual  and 
intellectual  qualities  of  its  people  with  the  resources  so  bountl- 
fully  bestowed  upon  It  by  Nature,  we  of  the  North  might  well 
envy  the  glorious  destiny  which  unquestionably  awaits  the 
bouth,  did  we  not  deeply  realize  our  indissoluble  union  and 
believe  that  the  achievements  of  the  South  will  be  a  source 
of  pride  to  the  North,  will  add  to  the  lustre  of  our  country's 
fame,  and  strengthen  Its  position  among  the  great  nations  of 
the  world. 


I  - 


Present  Era  Characterized  bv  Utilization  of  Me- 
chanical Power. 

If  we  examine  broadly  the  changes  which  have  come  about 
in  industrial  methods  and  in  the  means  of  transportation  since 
the  invention  of  the  steam  engine,  it  will  be  found  that  the 
application  of  power  has  been  the  fundamental  factor  in 
bringing  about  the  characteristic  conditions  of  the  era  in 
which  we  live.  The  steam  vessel  and  the  steam  locomotive, 
by  revolutionizing  transportation  methods,  made  possible  the 
present  development  of  our  country.  It  is  the  power  of  the 
steam  engine  or  the  water-wheel  which  has  substituted  the 
power  loom  for  the  hand  loom,  with  all  the  marvelous  results 
which  have  followed.  Similarly,  throughout  nearly  every  in- 
dustry, human  muscle  is  no  longer  the  source  of  power,  for 
the  hand  now  directs  and  controls  the  untiring  and  unlimited 
power  of  great  engines.  Reduced  to  its  ultimate  terms,  the 
vital  forces  in  industry  and  in  transportation  come  from  coal 
mines  and  waterfalls,  resources  with  which  the  South  is  abund- 
antly blessed,  and  the  problem  is  to  secure  power  from  these 
sources  and  to  utilize  it  in  building  up  the  industrial  and  com- 
mercial life  of  the  community. 


Coming  Era  to  be  Characterized  by  Utilization  of 

Electrical  Power. 

Had  a  Jules  Verne  sought  to  imagine  some  universal  ser- 
vant of  mankind,  he  would  well  have  depicted  some  magic 
agent  which  would  apply  Nature's  forces  to  do  man's  work; 
which  could  take  the  energy  of  her  hidden  coal,  of  the  air, 
or  of  her  falling  water,  carry  it  by  easy  channels  and  cause 
it  to  give  the  light  of  a  million  candles,  the  power  of  a  thou- 
sand men,  or  to  move  great  loads  faster  than  horses  could 
travel,  to  produce  heat  without  combustion,  and  to  unlock 
chemical  bonds  and  release  new  materials.  No  such  wonder 
was  pictured  by  the  imagination  of  the  seers  of  the  past ;  and 
yet  a  subtle  force  which  transcends  the  powers  of  the  imagina- 
tion is  daily  doing  all  these  things — a  vitalizing  force,  which 
is  already  stimulating  the  Physical  Recovery  of  the  South. 
And  if  we  still  think  of  the  present  as  the  era  of  steam  and 
steel,  unquestionably  the  coming  epoch,  whose  dawn  we  are 
privileged  to  witness,  will  be  known  as  the  Age  of  Elec- 
tricity. First  the  toy,  and  long  the  mystery  of  the  scientist, 
electric  power  is  now  a  familiar  tool  for  the  accomplishment 


of  the  work  and  the  increase  of  the  comfort  and  pleasure  of 
mankmd. 

Although  we  may  not  know  the  ultimate  nature  of  elec- 
tricity, yet  we  do  know  some  of  its  essential  laws  and  methods 
of  controlling  and  using  it. 

Rapid  Development  of  Electrical  Art. 

During  the  twenty-five  years  in  which  I  have  been  in- 
timately  interested  in  the  electrical  art  a  development  has  been 
witnessed  which  has  surpassed  the  most  optimistic  predictions 
At  the  beginning  of  this  period  it  was  the  general  conviction 
that  electricity  would  be  limited  to  local  use  in  the  lighting 
of  densely  populated  districts  or  the  supply  of  power  to  ad- 
jacent factories.  Indeed,  there  had  been  no  developments 
remotely  to  foreshadow  what  has  since  been  accomplished. 

At  that  period,  however,  there  had  already  been  developed 
and  operated  electric  arc  lighting  circuits  of  high  voltage,  ex- 
tended over  rather  large  areas,  with  the  pressure  upon  the 
wires  of  from  2,000  to  7,000  volts,  which  practically  demon- 
strated  that  considerable  electric  power  could  be  transmitted 
cheaply  if  means  could  be  found  to  utilize  safely  high-voltage 
electric  current  for  power  and  light  and  for  other  purposes. 
But  such  means  were  not  then  known. 

Necessity  the  Mother  of  Invention. 

It  often  happens,  when  something  is  greatly  needed  for  any 
great  purpose,  that  as  a  result  of  a  lively  appreciation  by  many 
of  the  existing  need  there  arises  in  due  course  invention  or 
discovery  which  meets  the  demand.  And  so  it  was  in  the 
matter  of  invention  and  discovery  which  gave  us  a  simple 
static  device,  consisting  of  two  coils  of  copper  wire  surrounded 
by  sheets  of  iron,  which  could,  without  an  appreciable  loss 
of  energy,  transform  alternating  electric  currents  of  high 
voltage  and  small  quantity,  dangerous  to  life,  into  low  voltage 
currents  of  large  quantity,  safely  available  for  all  power, 
light,  heat  and  other  purposes. 

Alternating  Current. 

To  the  part  I  took  in  bringing  forward  in  the  '80s  of  the 
last  century  the  alternating  current  system  of  electric  genera- 
tion and  distribution  I  owe  much,  if  not  all,  of  the  reputation 
accorded  to  me  as  one  of  the  many  pioneers  in  what  is  now  a 
great  and  important  industry. 


I  • 


Danger  in  Restrictive  Legislation. 

The  Introduction  of  alternating  current  apparatus  was 
bitterly  opposed  by  those  who  were  then  exploiting  direct- 
current  apparatus,  and  legislation  was  sought  to  prohibit  its 
use  because  of  its  alleged  danger  to  life.  I  mention  this  in- 
cident because  it  clearly  shows  that  restrictiiie  laws  are  not 
always  advantageous,  for  had  the  legislation  sought  by  the  op- 
ponents of  the  alternating  current  system  been  secured  and  en- 
forced I  would  not  now  have  any  justification  for  this  ad- 
dress, because  the  influence  of  electricity  in  the  development 
of  the  South  would  be  too  uninportant  to  entitle  it  to  con- 
sideration on  this  occasion. 

Long-Distance  Transmission  of  Power. 

As  a  result  of  the  development  of  the  alternating  current 
and  of  years  of  experience  in  the  manufacture  of  electric  trans- 
formers and  of  insulators  for  supporting  electric  conductors, 
power  is  now  successfully  transmitted  by  alternating  current 
over  distances  of  two  hundred  miles  or  more.  Thus  water- 
power  in  almost  Inaccessible  places  awaits  only  the  coming  of 
engineers  and  of  capital  to  be  made  available  for  industrial 
purposes. 

Water-Power  Available  in  the  South. 

It  Is  estimated  by  those  who  have  made  a  study  of  the 
sources  of  water-power  of  the  Appalachian  Mountains  that 
there  can  ultimately  be  developed  from  5,000,000  to  7,000,- 
000  horsepower  during  the  dry  season  of  the  year,  and  a  much 
larger  quantity  at  other  times.  This  great  water-power  is 
brought  by  Nature  to  your  mountains  and  hills  In  widely 
varying  quantities  and  will  continue  indefinitely;  but  the  maxi- 
mum and  minimum  flow  of  the  waters  of  your  rivers  can  be 
affected  by  the  works  of  man  and  by  a  wise  conservation  of 
your  forests. 

Utility  of  Electrical  Energy. 

Notwithstanding  our  familiarity  with  the  present  uses  of 
electricity,  few  of  us  really  comprehend  how  universal  and 
fundamental  is  the  part  which  electricity  Is  destined  to  assume 
In  the  life  of  future  generations.  Nothing  else  can  convey, 
distribute  and  apply  power  in  a  way  which  compares  with 
electricity.  From  one  dynamo  can  be  taken  the  power  for 
operating  the  telephone  and  the  telegraph,  the  power  for  light- 


ing, the  power  for  operating  street  cars  and  railroad  trains, 
the  power  for  operating  mills  and  factories  and  mines,  the 
power  for  electro-chemistry,  the  power  for  heating.  Elec- 
tricity IS  a  universal  means  of  applying  power  for  doing  the 
physical  work  of  the  world.  It  is  effective,  not  only  in  the 
application,  but  in  the  production  of  power.  Less  coal  is 
required  for  producing  electric  power  on  a  large  scale  than 
is  when  many  individual  engines  of  smaller  size  are 
used.  VV  ater-powers  which  otherwise  would  be  unavailable 
are  made  useful  for  supplying  power  to  distant  cities,  and  even 
a  mill  located  at  a  water-power  will  give  better  service  when 
it  uses  the  electric  drive.  Electricity  affords  a  simpler,  better 
way  of  doing  many  things  with  which  we  are  familiar,  and  it 
also  makes  possible  new  methods  and  new  developments 
which,  without  It,  would  be  impossible. 

With  electric  power  the  mill  can  draw  its  energy  from  any 
stream  within  a  radius  of  a  hundred  miles  or  more;  it  may  be 
located  on  high  and  healthful  ground,  on  the  outskirts  of  an 
established  town  or  city  where  labor  is  plentiful  and  trans- 
portation facilities  are  the  best. 

In  the  plan  and  design  of  the  mill  itself  there  is  no  longer 
the  necessity  for  arranging  buildings  and  machinery  to  be 
operated  from  great  belts  and  long  shafting  taking  power 
from  a  single  source;  but  individual  motors  in  each  depart- 
ment, or  on  each  machine  or  loom,  enable  the  whole  plant  to 
be  laid  out  so  as  to  give  economy  in  construction,  convenience 
m  handling  materials,  and  ensure  the  safety  and  health  of  em- 
ployees, thus  securing  a  freedom  and  an  excellence  which  is  im- 
possible without  electricity. 

The  oppressive  heat  of  the  summer  months  In  the  South  can 
be  made  tolerable  by  cooling  devices  and  fans  operated  by 
electricity,  and  electric  heaters,  which  are  always  ready  for  in- 
stantaneous  service,  can  be  used  during  the  short  intervals  in 
the  winter  when  artificial  heat  is  necessary  for  comfort  or 
health. 

Conservation  of  Coal  Resources. 

Furthermore,  the  use  of  electricity  will  conserve  the  coal 
deposits  of  the  world  for  those  Industrial  processes  in  the  per- 
formance  of  which  it  may  always  be  an  indispensable  element. 
To  Illustrate  what  a  conservator  of  the  coal  resources  of  the 
country  water-power  may  prove,  I  will  mention  only  that  to 
produce  from  coal  for  ten  hours  each  day  the  five  million  horse- 
power which  may  be  developed  from  Southern  water-powers 
would  require,  with  the  most  efficient  kinds  of  engines,  not  less 


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than  twenty-five  million  tons  of  coal  annually.  If  there  were 
no  water-power  available,  methods  would  be  adopted  for 
producing  power  and  conserving  heat,  which  would  effect  a 
saving  of  over  one-half  of  the  coal  now  consumed  in  the 
world.  Here  is  a  field  for  agitation  against  waste  of  our 
natural  resources  surpassing  all  others  in  importance. 

The  South's  Opportunity. 

Now,  what  is  the  significance  to  the  South  of  these  facts? 
How  can  the  South,  which  has  almost  everything  before  it 
in  the  matter  of  industrial  affairs  requiring  the  aid  of  modern 
achievement,  by  foresight  and  by  promptly  grasping  the  op- 
portunities which  are  presented  to  it,  hasten  its  industrial 
development,  increase  its  wealth,  improve  the  health  of  its 
people  and  increase  their  happiness? 

Truly,  here  are  subjects  not  to  be  circumscribed  by  the 
wisdom  and  judgment  of  one  man,  but  calling  for  the  united 
counsel  and  effort  of  the  wisest  and  best  among  us — requiring 
not  merely  the  knowledge  of  the  scientist,  the  skill  of  the  en- 
gineer and  the  wealth  of  the  capitalist,  but  also  the  broad 
view,  the  enlightened  experience  and  the  high  endeavor  of  our 
greatest  statesmen. 

Present  Achievements  in  the  South. 

In  the  development  and  utilization  of  the  energy  of  water- 
falls, the  South  has  already  taken  a  leading  position,  and  the 
industrial  benefits  thereof  are  so  widely  and  favorably  known 
that  no  argument  is  now  needed  to  justify  the  work  already 
done,  or  to  point  out  the  great  and  lasting  benefits  to  be  de- 
rived from  its  extension. 

Any  address  on  electricity  in  the  South  would  be  incomplete 
without  an  expression  of  high  appreciation  of  the  work  of  the 
Southern  Power  Company,  begun  by  Dr.  Wylie  and  de- 
veloped to  its  present  stage  by  the  Messrs.  Duke. 

This  is  the  largest  power-transmission  system  in  the  South 
and  is  among  the  most  extensive  and  important  in  the  country. 
It  is  not  a  simple  transmission  line  from  a  single  power  house 
to  a  single  mill  or  city,  but  an  extensive  system  which  receives 
power  from  many  power  plants  on  different  streams  in  several 
States.  Hence  low  water  or  high  water  on  one  river,  which 
might  temporarily  disable  certain  plants,  has  but  a  slight  effect 
on  the  whole  system. 

The  lines  of  the  Southern  Power  Company  extend  150 
miles  north  and  south  and  200  miles  cast  and  west,  and  con- 

8 


nect  mto  a  smgle  hydro-electric  power  system  plants  aggre- 
gatmg  100,000  horsepower.  It  is  a  magnificent  demonslra- 
tion  of  what  electricity  can  do  to  conserve  and  utilize  water- 
power  in  developing  the  great  and  growing  textile  and  other 
industries  of  the  South.  The  Southern  Power  Company  Is 
furnishmg  light  to  forty-five  cities  and  towns,  and  supplying 
current  to  six  street  railway  systems,  and  to  hundreds  of  motors 
for  various  uses.  This  power  development  is  the  result  of 
inte  ligent  and  far-sighted  business  courage  and  confidence  in 
bouthern  affairs,  which  have  inspired  and  actuated  the  men 
who  have  built  up  this  great  enterprise. 

I  am  informed  that  the  millions  already  invested  in  the 
bouthern  Power  Company  have  not  yet  yielded  even  a  moder- 
ate  net  mcome  to  those  who  have  put  their  money  into  an 
investment  which  has  benefited  others  more  than  themselves 
by  insuring  an  increase  in  production  and  profit  to  its  patrons 
—a  striking  evidence  of  the  importance  of  a  generous  treat- 
ment by  authorities  as  well  as  by  those  who  derive  an  absolute 
money  benefit. 

Industries  Likely  to  be  Developed. 

The  industries  most  likely  to  be  developed  and  to  increase 
because  of  peculiar  suitability  to  conditions  now  existing  in  the 
bouth  are:  Textile  mills,  fertilizer  works,  cement  plants,  coal 
iron    copper  and  gold  mining,  ore  reduction  plants,  iron  and 

A  u  -1  J-  ^g^^^"^tural  implement  works,  canning  factories, 
road  building  furniture  manufacture,  lumber  plants,  paper 
mills  shoe  and  leather  factories,  and  oil  refineries,  in  all  of 
which  industries  electric  power  increases  production. 

Electricity  in  Metallurgy. 
The  South  abounds  in  coal  and  iron,  as  well  as  other 
metals,  which  can  be  cheaply  mined.  Owing  to  the  presence 
of  impurities  in  the  iron  ore,  especially  phosphorus,  the  pig 
irons  produced  in  the  South  have  not  been  considered  so  suit- 
^5  1  xi'^^l  manufacture  as  those  made  from  the  purer  ores 
of  the  North.  The  electric  furnaces  for  refining  steel,  which 
have  been  recently  developed  and  quite  extensively  used,  will 
make  available  the  iron  resources  of  the  South  in  the  produc- 
tion  of  the  high  grades  of  steel,  and  it  is  no  stretch  of  imagin- 
ation  to  foresee  that  the  South  will  become  a  large  producer 
'u^  ^^^  material,  and  through  the  cheapness  of  its  labor  it 
will  be  able  to  turn  these  materials  into  finished  products  At 
the  same  time  the  slag  by-product  of  blast  furnaces  will  re- 
main  to  be  used  for  fertilizing  purposes. 


L 


Electrical  Production  of  Fertilizers. 

The  South  is  already  a  large  user  of  fertilizers,  much  of 
which  is  imported  and  the  supply  of  which  is  limited  and  ex- 
haustible, nitrogen  forming  an  important  part  of  the  ferti- 
lizers which  are  commonly  used.  During  the  past  few  years 
great  attention  has  been  given  to  the  development  of  means 
for  the  electric  production  of  fertilizers,  and,  so  much  has 
already  been  accomplished,  it  may  be  said  with  confidence  that 
the  fertilization  of  our  soil  within  the  near  future  will  be 
largely  dependent  upon  electricity.  Most  of  the  material  re- 
quired, coal  and  limestone,  for  this  purpose  is  found  in  the 
South  in  unlimited  quantities.  Were  the  soil  in  the  United 
States  as  carefully  tilled  and  fertilized  as  in  many  densely 
populated  countries  there  would  be  an  immense  increase  in 
our  agricultural  products. 

Electricity  in  Cotion  Mills. 

A  brief  consideration  of  the  special  advantages  already 
derived  from  the  use  of  electric  power  in  the  cotton  industry 
will  well  illustrate  the  benefits  to  be  gained  from  the  general 
extension  in  the  use  of  this  wonderful  force  to  odicr  fields. 

The  output  of  cotton  mills  has  been  increased  and  the 
quality  of  goods  is  improved,  largely  because  of  the  uniform 
speed  attained  by  the  electric  drive  as  compar.ed  with  power 
conveyed  through  belts  and  lines  of  shafting.  This  uniform 
speed  has  resulted  in  an  increased  production  with  an  increased 
profit,  which  in  some  cases  exceeds  the  cost  of  the  electric 
power.  With  electric  drives,  recording  meters  can  be  placed 
in  the  circuits  which  supply  power,  and  the  instantaneous 
power  or  the  total  power  for  any  given  time  can  thus  be 
ascertained,  a  feature  of  great  value  to  the  management  in 
determining  whether  separate  departments  of  the  mill  are 
starting  or  stopping  on  time,  and  whether  the  full  load  is 
kept  on  the  machines  during  working  hours. 

With  electric  drives  one  set  of  machines  or  a  part  of  a  mill 
can  be  operated  independently  when  it  is  not  advantageous  or 
convenient  to  run  the  whole  mill.  When  there  is  a  single 
power  house  with  mechanical  drive  any  enlargement  must  be 
conditioned  upon  the  extension  of  shafting  or  belting;  but 
with  electricity  wires  can  readily  be  run  to  any  point  In  the  old 
buildings,  or  to  new  buildings. 

In  the  territory  of  the  Southern  Power  Company  it  was  at 
first  difficult  to  Induce  the  mill  managers  to  adopt  electric 
power,  and  It  took  three  years  of  effort  to  Introduce  ten  thou- 
sand horsepower;  then,  however,  mill  managers  observed  the 


10 


I  W  ^  -WJ'^*^ 


1^^ 


advantages  of  their  neighbors  who  used  electric  power,  ^Ith 
the  result  that  at  the  end  of  the  next  period  of  three  years 
electric  power  had  increased  to  more  than  65,000  horsepower, 
while  now  there  is  a  total  of  80,000  horsepower  of  electric 
machinery  installed. 

Of  the  300  or  more  cotton  mills  in  North  Carolina,  about 
25  per  cent  are  now  wholly  driven  electrically.  Although 
there  has  been  a  great  increase  in  the  number  of  cotton  mills 
in  the  bouth  in  recent  years,  the  mills  have  been  devoted  to 
the  production  of  the  cheaper  grades  of  cloth;  but  it  Is  pre- 
dieted  that  the  future  growth  will  not  be  merely  in  the  num- 
ber  of  mills,  but  will  be  in  the  production  of  the  finer  grades 
of  cotton  fabrics. 

Generalization. 

I  have  sketched  briefly  the  fundamental  place  which  electric 
power  distribution  is  taking  in  industrial  activities,  and  I  have 
reterred  briefly  to  what  one  electric  power  transmission  com- 
pany is  accomplishing  in  pushing  the  textile  industry  in  which 
the  South  takes  just  pride.  Time  does  not  permit  me  to  catalogue 
all  the  possibilities  of  electricity  In  the  development  of  this 
great  country.  The  South  has  mineral  resources  to  be  de- 
veloped—electrical operation  is  the  established  method  for 
mming.  The  mam  railway  lines  of  the  South  run  north  and 
south— electricity  enables  trolley  lines  to  be  run  east  and  west 
to  serve  as  feeders  for  the  trunk  lines,  and  when  electricity  Is 
used  tor  the  operation  of  your  railways,  as  It  will  certainly  be 
some  day,  there  will  follow  a  more  Intimate  relationship  be- 
tween producers  and  carriers  than  might  otherwise  exist. 

THE  FUTURE. 

^  Having  been  asked  to  speak  upon  the  subject  of  electrlcltv 
in  the  development  of  the  South  because  of  my  connection  with 
the  electrical  industries  of  the  country,  it  seems  to  me  I  cannot 
tulhll  the  expectations  of  those  who  have  planned  this  con- 
gress by  limiting  my  observations  to  matters  with  which  you 
are  more  or  less  familiar  from  personal  experience,  or  from 
articles  in  your  daily  papers  and  In  magazines;  I  should  also 
ask  you  to  look  forward  to  what  we  may  expect  in  the  vears  to 
come.  ^ 

Electrical  Stimulation  of  Plant  Growth Sugges- 
tive Experiments. 

In  1906-7  some  experiments  were  made  in  England  with 
the  co-operation  of  Sir  Oliver  Lodge,  the  eminent  English 

II 


scientist,  In  the  stimulation  of  plant  growth  by  electricity.  It 
has  been  frequently  observed  that  plant  growth  Is  stimulated 
by  electric  light,  and  numerous  experiments  have  been  made 
having  for  their  object  the  stimulation  of  the  soil  by  the  ap- 
plication of  electric  current.  The  experiments  reported  by 
Sir  Oliver  Lodge  in  a  privately  printed  brochure  on  Elec- 
tricity In  Agriculture  are  briefly  as  follows : 

Two  tracts  of  land  about  twenty  acres  each  were  similarly 
sown  or  planted.  On  half  of  this  land  poles  with  Insulators 
were  erected  to  support  the  electric  wires,  only  one  pole  per 
acre  being  required  for  the  purpose.  The  electricity  required 
was  produced  by  a  small  dynamo  driven  by  a  2-horscpower 
oil  engine  and  was  transformed  to  a  tension  of  about  100,000 
volts  of  very  high  frequency.  The  experiments,  which  ex- 
tended over  several  years,  gave  remarkable  results,  an  increase 
of  from  30  to  40  per  cent,  being  secured  In  wheat  crops  grown 
on  the  electrified  plot  as  compared  with  the  crop  produced  on 
the  unelectrlfied  plot.  Moreover,  the  electrified  wheat  was  of 
a  better  milling  and  baking  quality  and  sold  at  a  considerably 
higher  price  than  that  grown  on  the  unelectrlfied  plot.  Similar 
experiments  with  strawberries,  mangolds,  tomatoes,  cucum- 
bers, beets  and  carrots  showed  equally  remarkable  results. 
One-year  strawberry  plants  showed  in  one  Instance  80  per 
cent,  increase  and  more  runners  produced,  while  with  five- 
year  plants  the  increase  was  36  per  cent. 

In  writing  to  me  on  this  subject  In  response  to  my  request, 
in  order  that  I  might  make  a  reference  to  it  In  this  address, 
Sir  Oliver  Lodge  suggested  that  the  results  attained  In  the 
experiments  referred  to  and  in  others  would  justify  an  elab- 
orate series  of  experiments.  These  experiments  could  be 
usefully  undertaken  at  the  stations  under  the  control  of  the 
Agricultural  Department 

An  explanation  given  for  the  excitation  of  vegetation  by 
these  high-tension  currents  is  that  high-frequency  electrical  dis- 
charges favorably  affect  the  deposit  of  the  nitrogen  in  the 
atmosphere  into  the  soil,  upon  which  deposit  vegetation  so 
largely  subsists. 


Electricity  in  the  Preservation  of  Health. 

Whatever  prevents  disease  and  ensures  health  contributes 
not  only  to  man's  happiness,  but  also  to  his  efficiency,  and  it 
appears  that  the  electric  current  is  to  play  a  very  important 
part  in  this  field. 

13 


Mercury  Vapor  Lamps— Ultra- Violet  Rays. 

The  outcome  of  the  efforts  of  one  who  specializes  in  any 
particular  kind  of  apparatus  Is  often  interesting.  The  de- 
velopment of  the  mercury  vapor  lamp  by  Dr.  Peter  Cooper 
Hewitt  has  provided  a  light  which  Is  the  least  fatiguing  to  the 
human  eye  of  all  artificial  lights,  and  experimentation  with 
this  lamp  has  led  to  the  development  of  several  other  uses 
ot  the  mercury  vapor  arc,  one  of  which  is  the  production  In 
quartz  tubes  of  ultra-violet  rays,  the  effects  of  which  are  likely 
to  be  of  the  very  highest  importance  In  our  daily  lives.  While 
these  ultra-violet  rays  are  emitted  in  the  quartz  tubes  they 
are  effectively  neutralized  by  the  glass  tubes  which  contain  the 
mercury  vapor  used  in  lighting. 

Sterilizing  Water  and  Milk. 

One  of  the  important  uses  to  which  these  ultra-violet  rays 
have  already  been  put  has  been  to  absolutely  sterilize  water 
however  much  it  may  have  been  contaminated  by  bacteria 
Experiments  have  also  shown  that  the  ultra-violet  rays  will 
sterilize  milk  without  the  application  of  heat  in  such  a  manner 
that  it  can  be  kept  In  properly  sterilized  vessels  for  long 
periods  without  deterioration  or  loss  of  Its  food  values. 

With  the  growth  of  population,  the  pollution  of  rivers,  and 
the  contamination  of  the  water  supply  upon  which  our  popula- 
tion must  rely,  and  the  difficulty  of  determining  whether  the 
water  and  milk  we  use  are  free  from  noxious  bacteria,  this 
safe  and  thorough  method  of  sterilization  becomes  of  In- 
estimable value.  The  elaborate  experiments  and  demonstra- 
tions which  have  already  been  made  at  the  Sorbonne,  In  Paris, 
and  at  the  city  water  works  of  Marseilles,  France,  have  not 
only  proved  the  feasibility  of  this  method  of  sterilization  but 
have  brought  out  the  fact  that  a  i5,ooo.kilowatt  generator  of 
electrical  energy  could  sterilize,  by  means  of  mercury  vapor 
quartz  lamps,  as  much  water  as  is  actually  used  for  drinking 
and  cooking  in  the  United  States. 

Simplicity  and  Economy  of  Sterilizing  Apparatus. 

The  simplicity  of  the  apparatus  for  sterilizing  water  is 
such  that  there  is  no  doubt  but  that  it  can  be  advantageously 
installed  in  factories  and  other  places,  and  even  in  dwellings, 
adjacent  to  the  point  or  points  where  the  water  is  to  be  used! 
thus  avoiding  any  possible  contamination  between  the  point 
of  supply  and  the  point  of  use. 

13 


The  electric  energy  required  for  the  operation  of  a  quartz 
mercury  vapor  lamp  used  for  the  daily  sterilization  of  85,000 
gallons  of  water  Is  about  equal  to  that  required  for  half  a 
dozen  ordinary  Incandescent  lamps. 

Aging  of  Wine. 

Not  only  have  water  and  milk  been  sterilized,  but  In  other 
experiments,  also  carried  on  at  the  Sorbonne,  it  was  found  that 
new  wine  was  affected  in  a  manner  to  give  It  the  qualities  nor- 
mally attained  in  years,  or  an  age  of  apparently  many  years 
was  given  by  a  few  seconds'  application  of  the  ultra-violet  rays. 

These  experiments  and  Investigations  suggest  that  uses  for 
the  ultra-violet  rays  will  be  found  which  have  not  yet  been  con- 
ceived. 

Mercury  Vapor  Rectifiers  May  Supplant  Rotary 

Transformers. 

An  Important  use  of  the  mercury  vapor  apparatus  has  been 
to  transform  or  rectify  alternating  currents  into  continuous 
currents,  and  some  recent  experiments  Indicate  that  this  can 
be  done  on  a  large  scale  with  a  considerable  saving  of  elec- 
trical energy.  These  promising  results  foreshadow  the  dis- 
appearance of  the  costly  rotating  apparatus  which  is  now  used 
for  that  purpose  in  the  operation  of  railways,  and  for  pur- 
poses where  the  use  of  a  continuous  current  Is  advantageous. 


HERTZIAN  WAVES. 

Possibilities  in  Wireless  Transmission  of  Electrical 

Energy. 

The  transmission  of  electrical  energy  through  the  atmos- 
phere without  wires  has,  in  a  very  few  years,  so  far  advanced 
that  wireless  telegraphy  is  now  an  important  feature  of  our 
daily  life.  We  read  of  instances  where  wireless  messages 
have  been  received  at  a  distance  of  over  3,000  miles  from  the 
point  at  which  they  were  sent,  and  it  is  said  that  we  shall 
shortly  have  regular  wireless  communication  between  Paris 
and  New  York. 

14 


Wireless  Telephony. 

Not  only  has  it  been  possible  to  communicate  by  wireless 
m  the  Morse  code,  but  it  has  been  found  that,  with  suitable 
apparatus,  telephone  conversations  can  be  carried  on  over  con- 
siderable  distances,  and  It  is  expected  that  by  improvement  in 
the  apparatus  conversations  can  be  carried  on  over  verv  con- 
siderable distances. 

Portable  Wireless  Telephones. 

Investigations,  of  which  there  Is  almost  daily  mention  in 
the  public  press,  indicate  such  great  simplification  in  wireless 
telephone  apparatus  that  we  may,  within  the  quite  near  future 
have  placed  at  our  disposal  a  simple  portable  apparatus  which 
will  permit  wireless  conversation  to  be  carried  on  over  a  con- 
siderable area.  This  will  prove  of  great  value  in  sparsely 
settled  districts. 


Frequency,    Power   and   Possibilities   of   Hertzian 

Waves. 

It  may  Interest  you  to  know  that  the  frequency  of  the  elec- 
trical waves  sent  out  by  some  forms  of  wireless  transmitters 
approaches  a  million  per  second,  and  that  either  by  an  increase 
in  the  amplitude  of  these  vibrations  or  by  a  more  sensitive  re- 
ceiver, the  distance  over  which  these  waves  (which  undoubt- 
edly extend  to  Infinite  distance)  may  be  recorded,  can  be 
greatly  increased 

In  an  experiment  made  by  Dr.  Peter  Cooper  Hewitt  with 
powerful  wireless  transmission  apparatus,  Including  a  mercury 
vapor  Interrupter,  it  was  found  that  the  effect  of  the  hlgh-fre- 
quency  discharge  upon  the  iron  in  the  building  occupied,  such 
as  water  and  heater  pipes,  quickly  produced  incipient  fires 
within  the  room  where  the  apparatus  was  erected,  thus  dem- 
onstrating the  wonderful  power  of  this  incomprehensible 
force  and  suggesting  great  possibilities  in  the  transmission  of 
electrical  energy  without  wires. 

Wireless  Signaling  and  Distant  Control. 

The  transmission  of  electric  energy  without  wires,  which 
will  be  especially  valuable  for  signaling  purposes  and  for 
the  control  of  machinery  at  a  distance,  will  undoubtedly  play 
a  most  important  part  In  army  and  navy  operations. 

15 


RADIUM. 

Lord  Kelvin — Indication  of  Form  of  Energy  Not  Yet 

Known. 

We  are  hearing  and  learning  more  and  more  in  regard  to 
the  power  of  radium,  and  predictions  have  been  made  that  it 
will  some  day  furnish  power  in  great  quantities.  This  I  very 
much  doubt.  The  popular  belief  is  that  radium  constantly 
produces  heat  and  light  without  an  appreciable  loss  In  its 
weight,  and  that  it  will  continuously  produce  heat.  Lord 
Kelvin,  whom  I  had  the  honor  of  knowing,  was  greatly  in- 
terested in  the  discovery  of  radium  by  Madame  Curie.  In  one 
of  the  last  conversations  I  had  with  him,  I  ventured  to  give 
a  conception  of  the  cause  of  the  "production"  of  heat  by 
radium,  my  idea  being  that  radium  acts  as  a  transformer  of 
one  of  the  forces  of  ether  into  some  other  form  of  force,  and 
that  in  such  transformation  heat  is  produced.  Lord  Kelvin, 
who  had  studied  the  subject,  said  that  he  had  already  arrived 
at  the  same  conclusion  on  the  general  hypothesis  that  neither 
heat  nor  light  can  be  produced  without  energy.  I  refer  to 
this  because  of  the  Indication  that  there  exists  a  form  of  energy 
of  which  we  have  as  yet  no  knowledge,  but  which  may  yet  be- 
come available  to  us  as  a  result  of  further  discoveries. 


PRACTICAL  CONSIDERATIONS. 

Co-operation  Should  Be  Compulsory'. 

The  advantages  of  co-operation  in  the  matter  of  the  de- 
velopment and  supply  of  electricity,  having  regard  to  a  les- 
sening of  the  cost  and  insuring  the  certainty  of  supply,  cannot 
be  overestimated,  and  those  already  secured  by  operations  on 
a  large  scale  are  well  known.  Further  co-operation  in  this 
great  work  for  the  benefit  of  the  public,  if  not  voluntary  in  the 
future,  should,  in  my  opinion,  be  an  enforced  one,  notwith- 
standing the  outcry  which  has  been  raised  by  the  ill-informed 
with  reference  to  an  imaginary  monopolization  of  the  water- 
power  of  the  Nation. 

Encouragement  and  Regulation  by  Legislation. 

Encouragement  should  be  given  to  the  investment  of  capital 
in  the  development  of  these  enterprises  under  such  wise  and 

i6 


reasonable  regulation  as  will  insure  economy  in  the  construc- 
tion and  operation  of  plants,  adequate  returns  to  the  capital 
invested,  and  at  the  same  time  protect  the  consumer  against 
exorbitant  rates  and  charges  or  unfair  discrimination. 

Federal  Incorporation  the  Solution  of  Many  Diffi- 
culties. 

In  the  larger  industrial  developments  which  I  foresee  for 
the  South  there  are  other  Important  factors  which  equal  In 
importance  the  development  of  the  water-power  resources 
upon  which  I  have  dwelt.  I  have  particularly  In  mind  those 
existing  restrictions  which  make  It  difficult  and  expensive  for 
a  small  corporation  to  carry  on  conveniently  and  in  a  simple 
manner  its  business  with  ramifications  in  several  States,  restric- 
tions which,  however,  the  great  corporations  of  the  country  can 
easily  surmount  by  reason  of  their  financial  ability  to  organize 
separate  subsidiary  companies  In  those  States  where  such  an 
expedient  Is  rendered  necessary  to  meet  legislative  require- 
ments. 

I  have  long  held  that  a  Federal  Incorporation  Act,  which 
the  President  advocates,  under  which  all  companies  doing  an 
interstate  business  could  organize,  would  be  a  solution  of  the 
difficulties  which  are  now  almost  Insurmountable,  and  which 
are  being  added  to  in  an  alarming  manner  in  the  endeavor  of 
the  Legislatures  of  the  several  States  to  curb  a  few  of  the  tens 
of  thousands  of  companies  and  firms  doing  an  interstate  busi- 


ness. 


Protection  of  Minority  Owners. 


After  having  read  and  carefully  studied  the  bill  providing 
for  Federal  incorporation,  which  was  Introduced  In  the  long 
session  of  the  present  Congress,  I  am  constrained  to  say  I 
would  prefer  to  see  a  Federal  law  In  terms  more  easily  com- 
prehended by  business  men  and  devoid  of  those  provisions 
which  would  give  to  a  privileged  few  a  practical  control  of  a 
corporation  by  expedients  which  have  been  skilfully  developed 
and  which  are  now  looked  upon  as  a  matter  of  course. 

I  have  in  mind  particularly  the  depriving  of  minority 
owners  of  possible  representation  by  the  formation  of  voting 
trusts  and  the  election  of  directors  in  classes,  methods  which 
can,  and  often  do,  defeat  the  purposes  of  laws  which  have 
provided  for  cumulative  voting  whereby  a  substantial  minor- 
ity can  insure  the  election  of  at  least  one  member  of  a  board 
of  directors. 

17 


li  rig 


Directors  Should  Be  Large  Shareholders  and 

Elected  Annually. 

In  my  judgment,  each  director  of  a  corporation  should  be 
required  actually  to  own  a  substantial  interest  in  the  shares 
of  the  company,  the  affairs  of  which  he  aids  to  control,  and 
the  term  of  office  should  be  only  from  year  to  year.  To  make 
my  meaning  clearer  I  will  illustrate  by  supposing  that  a  com- 
pany had,  by  appropriate  by-laws,  established  a  board  of  five 
directors,  only  one  of  whom  could  be  elected  each  year.  Ob- 
viously, the  provision  of  the  law  for  cumulative  voting  would 
have  no  meaning  in  the  government  of  the  affairs  of  such  a 
company. 

It  may  be  unorthodox  to  say  this,  but  it  is  my  conviction 
that  the  conduct  of  a  business  without  profit  is  disadvantageous 
to  the  community  at  large  because  of  its  demoralizing  effect 
on  the  industry  and  its  Influence  upon  others.  A  Federal  in- 
corporation act  should  provide  for  a  statement,  on  prescribed 
forms,  of  the  assets  and  liabilities  of  each  corporation  taking 
advantage  of  its  provisions.  This  statement  should  be  avail- 
able to  all  who  are  asked  to  extend  credit  to  the  corporation. 
The  disadvantage  to  a  company  of  doing  business  at  a  loss 
under  such  conditions  need  not  be  enlarged  upon. 

Each  of  the  great  corporations  of  to-day  had  its  origin  In  a 
business  established  by  an  individual  or  small  company  based 
upon  the  skill  and  efforts  of  one  or  more  individuals.  The 
development  of  the  South  must  be  more  or  less  rapid  accord- 
ing as  the  work  of  such  men  is  appreciated  and  encouraged, 
especially  during  the  period  of  strenuous  effort  necessary  to 
the  building  up  of  large  and  prosperous  Industries  from  small 
beginnings. 


the  instructions  of  superiors.  President  Taft's  statement  that 
the  introduction  of  military  discipline  in  the  schools  and  col- 
leges of  the  land,  in  the  advantages  of  which  all  would  partici- 
pate,  would  be  of  greater  benefit  to  our  country  than  the  high 
development  of  athletics  by  a  few,  is  worthy  of  most  serious 
attention.  The  present  pre-eminence  of  Germany  in  industrial 
matters  arises  very  largely  from  the  military  training  and 
disciphne  to  which  each  of  her  citizens  must  submit 


I 


CONCLUSION. 

Advice  to  Young  Men — Value  of  Military  Discip- 
line. 

In  conclusion,  I  urge  the  young  men  of  the  South  to  make 
themselves  familiar  with  Industrial  affairs  by  learning  to  be 
proficient  in  the  use  of  their  hands  as  well  as  In  the  use  of 
their  heads.  My  early  greatest  capital  was  the  experience  and 
skill  acquired  from  the  opportunity  given  me  when  I  was 
young  to  work  with  all  kinds  of  machinery,  coupled  later  with 
lessons  in  that  discipline  to  which  a  soldier  is  required  to  sub- 
mit, and  the  acquirement  of  a  spirit  of  readiness  to  carry  out 

i8 


19 


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,Westinghouse,  George 

Elect rioity  in  the  development 
of  the  South. 


of  the  South. 

I 

I  y/^.w  y.     i-.. 

J)  SSO  WSA 


COLUMBIA  UNIVERSITY  LIBRARIES 


0044269420 


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OCT181994 


NEH 


I!  IN  21  iy4;-< 


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'Ml 


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